Broken
by xkissfromarosex
Summary: Sam has to move to New York for her mom's work, she tells her friends. She lied. Over the course of a year, she slips into their lives and back out again as her secrets are unveiled. But how can Freddie fall for a girl who is always disappearing? Seddie.
1. Prolouge

_A/n: OK, as some of you may know, I started a fic a few days ago where Sam only had a year to live. I had loads of great ideas for it, but then I came up with this. I decided to delete that other story, and, as of now, I can't imagine I'll be re-uploading it. So instead, I'm running with this, which I hope everyone'll enjoy. I know the concept has been done many times before; either Sam or Freddie moves away and they keep in contact via emails and telephone messages and stuff and then fall in love, but this story has a twist. I won't be revealing it in this chapter, but as the six months (maybe more) progress, you'll see that everything Carly and Freddie think they know about Sam is wrong. The chapters will be each cover the time span of a month, so I guess the prolouge starts in the summer, around August time. This chapter's pretty short, but I figured I'd introduce the character's relationships and such. Of course, it's a Seddie story! They're about seventeen in this fic, in case you were wondering._

_And that's enough of the a/n. I bring you...the prologue!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly._

* * *

**August**

"Remember to leave Sam a goodbye message on our message boards," Carly bobbed her head to the camera.

"Or I'll come _eat you_," The blonde threatened, curling her upper lip in pretend disdain.

"I've been Carly!"

"I've been Sam!"

"And this has been iCarly."

Freddie's fingers flew across the keypad as he finished the show. Carly pulled Sam into a hug, tears threatening to overflow.

"I can't believe you have to go away for _six months_! It's not fair."

"Chill, Carls!" Sam laughed, "I'll be back. In the mean time, Freddie'd better not mess up my role of the perky sidekick on iCarly. It took me a long time to build that reputation up."

"Perky?" Freddie's eyebrow quirked.

"Watch it Fredly," She shot warningly, still gathered in Carly's arms, "Carly. Seriously, I love you, but I can't _breathe_." Carly apologised quickly, releasing her best friend and trying not to cry. Sam took a quick look at her watch and exhaled a miserable sigh. "I'd better get back. I told my mom I'd come home as soon as iCarly had finished, so we wouldn't be late for our flight. God knows why the woman picked a night flight. She knows she can't sleep on planes."

"I can't believe your mom got a job in _New York! _That's immense,_" _Carly wiped her eyes.

Sam waved her hand in a nonchalant manner. "Whatever. I guess I'm gonna have to take as much advantage of the cosmopolitan lifestyle as I can before my mom screws it up."

"The confidence you have in your mom is heart-warming," Freddie remarked, leaning against the tech cart and smirking.

"I've said it before, but come stay with us. Spencer doesn't mind, and you're round here all the time anyway. That way, we can still do iCarly and you can go to school and nothing has to change."

"I want to stay, Carls, but I can't let my mom loose on New York alone. If Melaine wasn't being so selfish by staying at shcool to 'continue her studies'," Sam raised her hands and placed air quotes around these words, "-Then I could stay. But I really can't. Besides, it'll be good to get outta Seattle. See the sights, see the cute boys. There's a whole world out there, kid. It's my chance to see it."

Sam hugged Carly one more time. "I'm not gonna get soppy, because that's not the Puckett way." Sam swallowed the lump in her throat. She kissed her blue remote and pressed it into Carly's hand. "Look after it. If I come back to see it broken, I will _not_ be pleased. See you round, Shay."

Carly smiled, blinking through tears and clutching the remote to her chest. Sam span on her heel and looked over at Freddie. Their friendship had been rocky, to say the least, over the years, but they'd eventually grown to be good friends. Although Sam still relished in watching him squirm.

"Look after my girl. Stay nubbish," She smiled, suddenly pressing her lips to his cheek in a chaste kiss. He flushed, turning to look at his laptop. He desperately tried to think of something witty to retort back, but his mind seemed to freeze over.

"Later," She blew them a kiss, before skipping down the corridor.

After several moments of silence, Carly spoke. "I can't believe she's gone."

"Gone? I bet she's still walking down the stairs now. You know how lazy she is," Freddie commented absently. Carly rolled her eyes.

"I mean _gone_ gone. As in, out of the state."

"Yeah, but she'll be back in six months, won't she? We won't even have time to miss her," Freddie began to play with switches on his laptop, trying to look busy. Carly set the blue remote down and hugged herself.

"It won't be the same."

"Carly. Six months. It'll be fine."

Carly titled her head as she stared at him inquisitively. "Aren't you gonna miss her?"

"Sure, I'm gonna miss her, but I just think you're overreacting a little. She's not dead. You'll see. She'll be turning up on 'New York Crime Watch' before the plane even touches down in the state. Heck, before it even leaves Seattle."

Carly giggled slightly, but immediately felt guilty.

"_Annnnnnnd_..." Freddie continued, "She said she'll keep in touch. So really, it'll be like she's never left."

"I guess you're right. Wanna grab a smoothie?" Carly offered.

"Sure. Uh, I'll be right down," He nodded, as Carly left the studio. With the click of a mouse, he opened a new email and addressed it to Sam Puckett.

_Hey!_

_I'm guessing you're either on the way to the airport, or you've arrived. I just thought I'd send you a quick email to tell you that Carly's already moping about you, but I'm hoping that once she's_ _devoured a sweet and sour smoothie, she'll brighten up a bit. _

_We're all really gonna miss you. Keep checking the boards for messages from the fans; I'm sure there are loads for you._

_Uh, not really sure what else to say. Have fun in the city that never sleeps._

_Freddie._

Lame. Freddie sighed.

It was going to be a long six months.

* * *

Whaddya think? Please leave reviews, ideas, what I did well, what I could improve on, anything and everything. Thank you! :)


	2. August Part One

_OK,_ _this next chapter might give you a clue that all is not right in Sam's world. There's also very little Sam in this chapter as well, but I hope you'll enjoy seeing the mystery unfold! Thanks to every reviewer, I really appreciate it! :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly._

* * *

Freddie checked his phone for the fifth time in twenty minutes. Carly, fed up of his constant movement when she was trying to focus on finishing her smoothie, slapped his arm lightly. He flinched away, rubbing the sore spot.

"What was that for?"

"You're makin' me all nervous!" She exclaimed, throwing her empty smoothie cup in the nearby trashcan. "You expecting a text from someone?"

"No. Well, not really. I sent Sam an email about an hour ago; she still hasn't replied," His brows knotted together.

"Well, duh! She's on the plane. Don't worry about it. She'll reply when she can be bothered," Carly shrugged, glancing to the sky. The August sun, which was peeking along the horizon, cast a golden glow around the streets. A plane flew overhead, the rumble attracting both Carly and Freddie. "I wonder if she's on that plane. Hi Sam!" Carly waved as the plane dipped in between clouds.

"I doubt it. New York's that way," Freddie jerked his finger in the opposite direction. Carly frowned at him. "What? I didn't want you to wave like a crazy person to people you don't even know."

"Oh, Freddie, you're so _thoughtful_," Carly smiled sarcastically as she wrapped an arm through his. He checked his phone again, just in case. "She won't reply for ages yet. C'mon, this isn't helping me miss her less if you're desperate to hear from her," Carly joked, before realising what she'd just said. "Hold on. Why _are _you desperate to hear from her?"

Freddie froze in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

"You were hardly upset that Sam was leaving in the first place," She recalled.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't want her to be _safe_. I still hate her," He spluttered, then added for good measure, "That blonde demon made my life hell."

Not convinced, Carly pulled on his arm as they continuted on their journey home. His phone buzzed with the arrival of a message. His hand dived into his pocket to retrive his cell, only to find that it was a message from his network.

_Email failed to send to: Sam Puckett._

He was about to resend the message, but Carly's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"It'll be weird when Sam's not at school. I wonder if Principal Franklin will save Sam's locker, like he said he would," Carly pondered.

"If he said he would, then he will," Freddie replaced his phone in his pocket.

"S'ppose," Carly agreed somewhat reluctantly as they turned into Bushwell Plaza. Lewbert screamed at them, as usual, before stopping and asking where the blonde one was. When Carly replied that she'd gone away for a few months, Lewbert had muttered, "Good riddance."

"You are a _mean man_!" Carly cried, stomping up the stairs. Freddie followed her, checking over his shoulder for any wart-infested men running after them. Carly flung her front door open, sending Spencer tumbling from the top of his new sculpture in surprise. He landed with an audible 'oof' but managed to clamber up from the floor in time to ask Carly what was wrong.

"What's wrong? _What's wrong_? My best friend's moved two thousand miles away, she's gonna be there for six months, and Lewbert doesn't care!" Carly cried. Freddie stepped into the Shay apartment with trepidation, hovering by the door as Carly made her way to the stairs.

"Carls, it's OK. We care," Spencer assured her, placing his hands on her shoulders and embracing her. "Hey, how about we look at the airport website? Usually they tell you when planes arrive and leave and stuff. Sam's flight'll be on there, won't it, Freddie?"

"Should be, yeah."

Carly sniffed as her brother bounded over to the computer. "What airport did she say she was flying from?"

"Tacoma, I think," Carly squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to remember Sam's flight details. "Oh, I wrote it down upstairs. Hold on a sec!" She marched up the stairs, as Freddie approached Spencer.

"How was she at the Groovy Smoothie?" Spencer asked, keeping his eyes glued to the screen.

"She seemed fine. A little unhappy, I suppose," The teenager sighed, "It's gonna be hard without Sam around."

Spencer gave Freddie a knowing look. "_Is it,_ now?"

"For Carly, I mean," Freddie corrected himself hastily, "Not for me. I couldn't care less."

"Then why d'you keep checking your phone?"

"You saw that?"

"Spencer has eyes _everywhere_," Spencer adopted an intimidating expression. Freddie inched away, an uncomfortable silence settling on them. "Aha!" Spencer muttered, declaring his finding of the Tacoma website. He clicked on the link, and typed in the top bar _Seattle to New York. _He pushed the 'enter' button on the keyboard. "Hmm. That's weird."

"What's weird?" Freddie asked, peering over Spencer's shoulder.

"It says there are no outgoing flights tonight to New York. You sure she said she was going tonight?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, she said her mom was stupid for picking a night flight because she can't sleep on planes."

"OK, it says her flight was at 8.20.." Carly's voice travelled from the stairs as she read from her notebook, "...at the Tacoma airport. Should arrive about 2am. Has it left yet?"

Spencer swivelled on his chair to face his little sister. "There's no flights to New York tonight, certainly not from Tacoma airport. You sure she wasn't flying early tomorrow morning?"

"No, she said it was tonight," Carly looked down at her notebook, "Check again."

Spencer refreshed the page, but there were still no flights. "The first flight is tomorrow morning."

"But why would she tell us it was tonight? Freddie, ring her," Carly ran over to the door and grabbed her coat.

"Uh, where're you going?" Spencer asked.

"To see Sam. I'll be back in a-"

"Nu-uh, you're not going anywhere."

"Why not?"

"Wait 'til Freddie's contacted her."

"She's not picking up," Freddie interjected, dialling her number again and holding the phone to his ear.

"Spencer, I'm going-"

"It's nine, what kind of brother would I be if I let you go out at dark?"

"The_ normal_ one?" Carly offered, winding a long scarf around her body and throwing a bag over her shoulder. Spencer ran over and blocked the door off. "Spencer!" Carly shoved him hoping to make him budge, to no avail, "I'm really worried about Sam! She's not answering her phone and she's _lying _to me. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't see if she's OK? Freddie'll come with me, won't you?"

"On it," Freddie swiped his jacket from the couch and pursued Carly as she fled down the stairs. Spencer stared at the empty apartment.

"Ok?"

* * *

Carly rammed her fist on Sam's door, breathless.

"Sam? Sam, you in there?" Carly pressed her ear to the door, scrunching her nose as she tried to concentrate on any sounds from the inside. "Is she answering her cell?" Carly lifted her head and looked at Freddie, who shook his head. A wave of apprehension flew over Carly. "Sam!" She banged on the door once more, before slumping against the wooden frame. "Where is she?" Her hand unfurled from a tight clench, as she brought it down to her side. On the way, she knocked the doorknob by accident. "Ouch," Carly winced, rubbing her fingers.

"The door's unlocked," Freddie noticed, "The knob turned when you hit it. Look, turn it again."

Carly did as he said, and sure enough, the door clicked open. The lights were shut off and there didn't seem to be any activity from within.

"Sam? Sam, the door's unlocked," Carly called in vain to the empty house. Freddie found a switch and the hallway was flooded with light. There was a pile of books strewn across the floor, and a suitcase overflowing with clothes was laying by the staircase. Carly picked up a swirly patterned bra that was lying on the top step.

"This is Sam's stuff," Carly observed Sam's sweatpants, underwear, jerseys and many t-shirts placed on the floor.

"Why would she leave her suitcase here? And how come it's open?" Freddie wondered. Carly felt tears sting her eyes. "What _happened_ here?"

"We need to phone the police or something," Carly decided, beginning to pick Sam's clothes up and piling them in the suitcase.

"Carly, you shouldn't really touch anything."

"Why not?"

"Well, if this is a..." He measured her features before continuing, ".._crime scene_, and I'm not saying it is, but just in case, we shouldn't...you know, touch anything."

"Call Spencer," Carly whispered, her voice cracking. There was no response from her friend. "Freddie?"

"Using whose phone? Mine..or Sam's?" Freddie picked the dead mobile from under a pair of socks as his heart dropped.

* * *

_"Sam? Sam, come on, we've got to go!" Ms Puckett cried, coming across her daughter slipping her cell into her pocket. "Oh no you don't. Sam, they can trace us back using that. You've got to leave it here."_

_"But this'll only take a second-" Sam was interrupted as her mother snatched the phone from her hands. "Mom! I've got to let Carly and Freddie know-"_

_"No. I'm cutting this phone off as soon as we leave. Now keep packing!" Ms Puckett commanded, before checking the time. "Oh forget that. We've got to go, Sam."_

_"Mom," Sam began, dragging her suitcase down the stairs. "It's OK."_

_"Leave that!" Ms Puckett screamed from the porch, shocking Sam. Her suitcase fell from her hands, rolling down the remaining few stairs. "There's no time, COME ON!" _

_Sam stepped over her clothes, lifting the passports from the porch table and slamming the door behind her. _


	3. August Part Two

_OK, here's the third chapter! We're still in August, and we're going to be finding out a lot more about Sam's whereabouts. It may seem odd now, but it'll all make sense in later chapters! By the way, the last chapter took place on 12th August, I just forgot to mention it in the chapter. Thank you to every reviewer, each review is like a hug from a friend :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly._

**

* * *

**

**August 19th**

Carly paced around the iCarly studio, her phone in one hand as she waited anxiously for a call. Freddie focused the camera on the brunette and set up the satellite connection. His stomach turned with an unpleasant feeling; either nervousness from his first iCarly web show as the co-host, or from the fact that they hadn't heard from Sam since she'd disappeared. He and Carly had contacted Spencer on the night they'd searched Sam's empty house, and he had been the one to call the police and report the Puckett family as missing. The police had decided that, although the case had the potential to be serious, they were going to wait another three weeks until they enquired deeper. If Sam and her mom hadn't returned back at the beginning of September, then it would be time to start worrying.

Carly's phone buzzed in her hand. "Hello?" Carly whipped the phone to her ear. Her face fell slightly as she realised it wasn't Sam. "Oh. Hi Melanie. You got my message?"

Freddie faintly heard a garbled voice on the other end, speaking fast. He phased out when Carly began to explain what was happening, due to the fact he didn't really want to hear it himself. He busied himself by unplugging a USB cord and reconnecting it again, thoughts tumbling around his head. Maybe Melanie knew where they were? Even better, maybe Sam and her mom had gone to California to visit her, and had simply forgotten Sam's suitcase and phone? His stomach flipped again; if this was the case, why would they leave the door unlocked?

A sudden beep interrupted his inner torment, telling him there was a minute until they broadcasted live to the internet. He gestured to Carly, who quickly told Melanie not to panic and said goodbye. She slid the phone into her denim pants and lifted the blue remote from the counter.

"You know what to do?" She asked Freddie.

"I've seen you do it a bunch of times, don't worry!" He assured her, trying to crack a joke to lighten the atmosphere. Carly stood in-front of the camera tripod, running a hand absently through her hair and rolling her neck. "You OK?" Freddie looked concerned.

Carly looked at him. She spoke quietly. "Not really."

Not knowing how to reply, Freddie looked at his watch and began to count down. He wished life was as simple as numbers.

_5_

Sam would be found.

_4_

And her mom.

_3_

She'd be safe.

_2_

And she'd come back to them.

* * *

_Sam checked her watch and knew it was time. She tugged her laptop from her rucksack, the only thing she'd managed to grab before they came for her and her mom. She cracked it open, tapping the worktop as she waited for it to load. Her mom, exhausted after a day of hiding, had leaped under the motel bed covers and as of yet, hadn't resurfaced. That was at five, leaving Sam with an empty mind and an even emptier stomach. Luckily, it was now seven, Seattle time, and it was time for iCarly. Hopefully, her bright and chirpy friends, thinking she was in New York, would manage to cheer her up._

_She logged on to the internet connection, shrugging her headphones from her PearPod and sticking them into the laptop. She accessed the iCarly website, happy to see that they'd only just begun. Carly and Freddie were sticking their tongues at the camera, and did so for five minutes._

_"And that was for Chad," Carly announced, "Who asked what our tongues looked like."_

_"You may need to be checked out, Chad," Freddie quipped, and Sam felt a stab of jealously. The nub was holding his own opposite Carly, when it was supposed to be her job. If only her mom hadn't..._

_The blonde didn't want to dwell on it, so she listened to Carly and Freddie some more. There was a segment which included balloons, chocolate pudding and Gibby. Even seeing Gibby pulled at Sam's heart; she missed that crazy shirtless freak. It had only been a week, and yet she desperately wanted to see them all again. _

_At the end of the web show, Carly and Freddie were about to sign off when Carly seemed to remember something. _

_"Before we go, we just want to say hello to Sam, who we hope is watching in New York! Missing you!" Carly smiled at the camera, and tears welled in Sam's eyes._

_Oh Carly. If only you knew. _

_

* * *

_

**August 24th**

Ever morning was becoming repetitive. Carly flew down the stairs, flipping her phone open and checking for messages. If there was no contact from Sam, she'd turn the computer on and hope for an email. Every morning there was the same result.

_You have: 0 new messages._

Carly wasn't going to give up. She had seven days left in August to find Sam before the police took over. She wasn't going to let it get to that; she'd promised herself that she wouldn't let the situation spiral out of control.

Spencer strolled into the room. "What goes on, Carls? Any word from Sam?"

"No," Carly replied, sighing, "What am I gonna do, Spencer? I can't just leave it to the police, it's not fair._ I_ should be able to find my best friend."

Before Spencer had the chance to reply, Freddie flung the door open and ran to the computer.

"Have you checked the iCarly message board recently?" Freddie asked, his eyes set on the screen. Carly frowned.

"No. Why?"

"You'll never guess who's left iCarly a message," He grinned, finding the message and showing Carly.

"No.." She whispered.

_Wassup noodle heads? Forgotten me yet? Sorry I haven't replied, been too busy settling into the New York lifestyle. Sorry if you've been texting me and chizz, my mom decided to use my phone as a mirror on the flight and then dropped it on the cabin floor, before the air hostess shoved her huge heel into the screen. So yeah, it's kinda broken. Anyway, good webshow, but it lacked a little something. A good co-host, maybe? _

_P.S. Hope to see you guys. Soon._

"It's from Sam? You sure?"

"Yeah! Who else has moved to New York recently?" Freddie twisted the chair to face Carly, "She's OK, Carly."

Carly laughed, delighted. "So she _is_ in New York?"

"Apparently."

"Reply!" Carly shrieked, grabbing on his arms and jerking them to life. "Freddie!"

"If she really wanted to contact us, she would've phoned us or something," He analyzed, reading the email again. He didn't trust it. It didn't have the right...Sam-like nature to it. Only one insult about him? That was definitely not normal.

"Freddie," Carly's tone darkened, "Don't spoil this."

"Carly, I'm sorry, but he's right," Spencer adjoined, folding his arms and leaning casually against the pillar. "Sam would phone. She knows our number."

Carly looked resigned. Freddie and Spencer exchanged a look which communicated a whole conversation.

"C'mon, Carly. Why don't we go to the park? Or the Groovy Smoothie? We've only got a few days left of freedom, we might as well be out catching some rays," Freddie glanced outside the window, hoping the Seattle weather wouldn't let him down. He was pleased to see the rays of sunlight stream across the apartment, but this didn't seem to affect Carly's mood. Instead, she shook her head and slouched over to the couch.

"What's the point? Apparently, we're giving up."

"Carly, we're not giving up!" Freddie insisted, "But there's nothing we can do today. All we can do it wait."

"But I'm tired of waiting! Can't you do some tech magic? We've got to _find her," _Carly brought a balled fist to her palm to show her determination. An idea suddenly dawned on Freddie. He clicked onto Sam's message again, finally noticing that it was posted in the 'foreign fans' message board. His eyebrows drew together as he pressed on her message for more details. He was taken aback when his eyes fell onto one word.

"England?" Freddie read aloud.

"What?" Carly and Spencer chorused, approaching the computer to take another look.

"It says the message was sent from London."

Carly was befuddled. "What's she doing _there_?"

* * *

_"London?" Sam repeated, as her mom dragged her to the check-in desk. "We're going to London?"_

_"It was the first place I could book in such short notice," Her mom responded, juggling her handbag and the passports. Sam looked behind her shoulder quickly as they advanced to the desk. The snooty lady behind the counter asked to see their tickets and their passports, but took ages to check their personal details. Sam hopped from one foot to the other, constantly tilting her head to the entrance. She was on high-alert, and judging by her impatience with the check-in lady, so was her mom._

_"Is there a problem?" Her mom asked, gritting her teeth. The lady eyed the pair up and down, before returning the tickets and the passports to them._

_"No, ma'am. Have a nice flight," She smiled. Sam shifted her knapsack from one shoulder to the other as her mom nodded her head in the direction of the departure lounge. _

_"What are we going to do in London?" Sam hissed. Her mom tore her gaze away from the flight information screen and held her eyeline._

_"We're going to hide."_


	4. September Part One

_Hello! So I haven't updated for a while, so I typed this out pretty quickly, as I guessed I owed you guys another chapter. I lost my muse for a while, but now it's back and I'm working on another chapter for iDefine Love right now as well, so keep tuned in for that as well! _

_Thanks to every reviewer so far, I'm glad you're all liking the story!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly. On a sidenote, congrats to the iCarly gang for winning the KCA for best show. They so deserve it! Well done :)_

**

* * *

**

**September 1st**

_London. What was there to do in freakin' London? See the Queen? _

_Sam flung her itchy bed cover from her body and rolled to the side. She missed her own bed, in her own house, in the USA. Her mom snored beside her, reminding her why she was in this strange country. People wishing her a 'lovely day' with weird accents that make her feel like her day would be anything but lovely. _

_Her eyes flickered to the digital clock beside the bed; informing her that it was 2am. Stupid English time. Messing with her head and her body clock._

_It was only 8pm in Seattle. Sam let her mind wander to the Shay apartment, imagining what her friends would be doing. Carly and Freddie'd be reclined across the couch, their legs entwined together as they laughed at the colourful pictures flying across the screen. Spencer would be sculpting a dog merged with a balloon, which'd spontaneously burst into flames. They'd all extinguish the fire, laugh, and settle back down, thinking Sam was happy in New York._

_An uneasy feeling alighted in her stomach as she pictured her best friends tangled into one another. What had made her think they'd become a couple in her absence? And why did it bother her so much? Seeing as she wasn't going to see them again, not for a long time. She couldn't expect them to wait for her blessing. _

_Hopefully she'd at least be invited to their wedding. Was it to much to ask to be a bridesmaid? Yeah, she didn't like all the frilly dresses and chizz, but she figured it'd be good life experience. _

_Wait, what was she saying? They were seventeen. They weren't getting married. They weren't even together._

_Sam twirled a finger around a messy curl as her mom rolled on her side. Her brunette hair, dyed to keep in disguise, fell across her mom's face as she continued to sleep. Sam watched as the moonlight peeking through the curtain was speckled across her mom's face. She was pretty; there was no doubt about that. Sam remembered when she was younger that her mom would always play 'princesses' with her and her sister. Melanie was always the princess; her mom would drape delicate jewellery around her neck and gush at how beautiful she looked. Sam was always the troll, or the witch, or the ugly ogre. It hadn't bothered her at the time. _

_As she reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her mom's ear, she recalled another memory. She was five, and she'd been playing on the playground in the park. Her mom was chatting up the ice cream man, and Sam was swinging from the monkey bars. Another girl, Cornelia, stormed over and set her jaw in anger._

_"These are MY bars," She screeched, tugging Sam's knees away from the bars and not caring that the blonde plunged to the ground. Sam's elbows and knees were grazed, and her head throbbed, but she dusted herself off and managed to hobble to her mom._

_"Mommy," She yanked on her mom's jersey and shoved her elbows in her mom's face. "Look."_

_Her mom softly rubbed the sore skin. Sam swallowed, throwing a mean look over at Cornelia. Her mom pressed her lips against the skin, magically taking the pain away._

_"I'll always look after you, OK?" Her mom had promised._

_During her childhood, her mom had broken that promise a few times. Like the time she'd been the flashlight in the school play; she remembered opening her mouth to say the lines, but forgetting them as soon as she cast her eyes out to the audience and didn't see the one person she'd wanted to be there. _

_Sam watched the minutes fly by as she quietly echoed her mom's same words._

* * *

Carly's eyes fluttered open. She had hardly slept, her mind groggy with horrible scenarios over her missing best friend. She pulled the cover over her head, squeezing her eyes shut and desperately trying to freeze time.

Spencer poked his head around her door. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hmph," Carly groaned, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

Spencer took a quick glance at his watch. "Ten."

Carly sat up quickly, ignoring the headrush. "Ten?!? I was meant to be in school _an hour_ ago. Why didn't you wake me?" She swung her legs over the side and jumped up, dragging a brush through her hair and throwing her closet open. Spencer perched on the end of her bed, rubbing his hands together.

"I didn't wake you because I know you haven't slept in days. One day off isn't going to hurt, Carls. Freddie promised he'd get any homework assignments for you."

Carly pulled her jeans from the closet and stared over at her alarm clock. "What day is it?"

"Monday."

"Monday? As in September 2nd?"

"Yeah. That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about," Spencer met his sister's eyes, "The police rang earlier. They're..." He faltered, before taking another breath. "They're going to take Sam's case up. They're coming round at twelve today. They want to talk to you."

"No! I can handle this, Spencer."

"Carly, you need some help-"

"_I don't need any help_!" Carly cried, her eyes wild. She took a deep breath and tears sprang to her eyes. "I don't need any help," She repeated softly, as Spencer wrapped a protective arm around her. "I mean, I can't let her down. Not now, I just can't. I have to..I have to-"

Spencer rocked gently, as the tears rolled from his sister's eyes.

"Carly, c'mon. Let's go get something to eat. Fancy going down to Galini's Pie Shop? We can have some coconut cream pie!" Spencer nudged Carly in the ribs, hoping that the promise of pie would entice her to a better place. Carly seemed to think about it, but eventually shook her head.

"I'm gonna take a shower," She sighed, wiping her eyes and grabbing a chair.

"No no no," Spencer pulled the chair away from her grasp, "You can't stay in the shower all day. And not with..." Spencer looked at the chair, "Grandma's antique chair we inherited."

"Yeah, whatever," Carly groaned, as her brother set the chair down and clapped his hands together.

"OK. Want me to make you an omelette?"

"Sure."

Spencer ruffled his sister's hair and bounced out of the room. Carly strained to listen to his retreating footsteps, before flopping onto her stomach and searching under the bed. She heaved a knapsack out and looked at it, contemplating.

* * *

Freddie slammed his locker shut. Students strolled past him, absorbed in their trivial conversations about what had been on the television the night before, or what homework needed to be done. Freddie yearned to feel carefree again, to have his best friends beside him as they complained about the way Miss Briggs' pointy boobs often reflected light.

He wondered how Carly was holding up; unfortunately, his mom wasn't as relaxed as Spencer, meaning that he was shipped off to school like every other day. He hated his mom. He hated that she just couldn't let him off, just _once_. Sam, despite his complaints and protests, was his best friend, and life without her was proving to be too difficult.

Wendy approached him. "Hey, Freddie. You OK? You seem to be..kinda distracted."

Freddie hitched his rucksack up. "Yeah, well."

"I saw on Splashface that you're looking for Sam. What happened to her?" Wendy asked curiously.

"Well, if we knew the full story, then she'd be here, wouldn't she?" He snapped. After a moment, he exhaled a breath. "Look, Wendy, I'm sorry-"

"No, _I'm_sorry. About Sam. I'll make an announcement on my Splashface page, see if anyone's seen her, you know?" Wendy offered, rubbing Freddie's arm and motioning her friends to come over and join them. "If you hear anything, let us know, OK?"

"Will do. Thanks, Wendy," Freddie smiled, as Wendy and her friends walked off. He'd had people walk up to him all day and wish him well, but he was fed up of the sympathy. There was nothing wrong with _him_. _He_ was found. He wasn't in another country, possibly running from someone.

Her phone buzzed, telling him he had an incoming call. He pulled his cell from his pocket, eagerly answering. "Hello?"

"Hi, it's me," Carly's voice cracked down the phone.

Freddie's heart sank. "Oh. Hey, Carls. Have you seen the police yet?"

"No, and I'm not going to see them. We don't need any help," Carly said indignantly, "Listen, I have an idea, but I need you to do something with me."

Freddie was aware of Miss Briggs marching over to him, no doubt telling him to get to class. He turned away and tried to listen to what Carly was telling him, but the reception was horrible. He plugged a finger into his ear. "Carly, I can't hear you."

"Oh yeah, I'm in a tunnel."

"A tunnel? Carly, _where are you?" _Freddie inched away from Miss Briggs, who had her palm out, asking for his cell.

"I'm going to the airport."

"What?! _Are you freakin' crazy_? Carly, c'mon, what are you gonna do? London's a big place, you can't just...Carly?" He glanced at his phone, as the line went dead. "No no no!" He dialled Carly's cell phone number, not caring that Miss Briggs was threatening to get the Principal. His eyes flitted to the door, shoving his phone in his pocket as he darted around Miss Briggs and thrust the main door open.

The fresh air hit him as his legs carried him in the direction of the main road. It took him five minutes, and he was constantly checking over his shoulder for teachers following him, but he made it, just in time for a taxi to pull up. He silently thanked his mom for slipping a few crumpled dollars into his pocket that morning. He opened the door and slid into the backseat.

"One way to Tacoma airport, please," Freddie threw the money at the driver.

"Woah, kid. Slow down. Tacoma ariport? What'cha goin' there for?" The driver turned his head to Freddie, who was anxiously staring through the window.

"I have to find someone."

"Lemme guess. Is it a girl? You runnin' to the airport to stop the girl you love from boardin' a plane?"

Freddie looked at the driver's name tag, telling him his name was 'George'. "Kind of," Freddie replied, shrugging his bag off and placing it in the seat next to him. George looked amused.

"Hate to break it to you, but you ain't in a movie, kid. The plane ain't gonna wait for ya."

"No, it's not like that. Look, my best friend is going to fly to London because she thinks she's going to find our _other _best friend who, for some unknown reason, ran away to London with her mom. And I'm not gonna let both of them disappear," Freddie explained hurriedly. George quirked an eyebrow, before turning the key in the ignition and starting the taxi. Freddie sat back and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"S'my job," George replied, glancing in the mirror at the boy. "So, uh, what's your friend's name?"

"Which one?"

"Either. It's a long ride to the airport. Might as well get somethin' off your chest," George nodded.

"Carly's going to the airport right now. She's my neighbour, and I've been in love with her since the sixth grade."

"So you're runnin' to the airport to tell her you love her?"

"No," Freddie laughed, "She knows. I made it pretty obvious. I brought her flowers everyday, crept into her room and waited until she was asleep so I could just sit and watch her. Mind you, I was only twelve, but I swore that she was the girl I was gonna marry. She's beautiful and she was my best friend."

"But now..not so much?"

"Hmm," Freddie looked out of the window, "She's still great. We had a thing a little while ago. I saved her life, so she thought I was her hero, and she fell in love with me."

"Not bad."

"Just not what I wanted. We broke up. I don't want to be with someone who sees me through hero-tinted glasses."

"What about your other friend? The one who ran away?"

"Sam. She's vicious and I'm supposed to hate her, but I miss her more than I ever thought I would."

"Aha. You're best friends with two girls. Sweet," George smiled, "You ever dated Sam?"

"What? God, no. It'd be horrible. It'd be hell."

"Yeah, OK. You know, I used to know a girl like that. Rachel, she was called. I met her when I was only eight. She had these pigtails that fell down to her waist, and she never wore skirts. We argued all the time, but she was my best girl friend. Then, we came back to school in the summer after eighth grade, and she'd become this beautiful woman. She still annoyed the hell out of me, but I fell for her."

"What happened?"

"Stupidly, I asked her to marry me. And now we'll hate each other 'til death do us part," George flashed his wedding ring at Freddie, who was bemused.

"If you hate her, why did you marry her?"

"Love works in mysterious ways, kid. You'll find yourself fallin' for someone you never expected to fall for, trust me."

Freddie's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "We'll see."

George turned onto the freeway, a silence settling over them for a few minutes. Freddie felt his phone buzz beside him, but he didn't pick up. George frowned.

"You not gonna get that?"

"No. It's probably my mom."

"Well, let me get it. I can't stand constant buzzin' sounds," George turned his arm towards Freddie, his palm outstretched.

"Uh, it's OK-"

"No, lemme get it," George grabbed the phone from him and lifted it to his ear. "Hello, this is..." George cupped a hand to the phone. "What's your name?"

"Fredward Benson," Freddie mumbled, worried that George wasn't concentrating on driving.

"Fredward?" George snickered, "You serious, kid?" Freddie nodded, his mouth set tight with trepidation. If it was him mom on the other line, she'd probably be wondering why a strange man was answering her son's telephone. "Yeah, you've reached Fredward Benson. Can I help you?" George curled his lip, as he chucked the phone back at Freddie. "They hung up. Probably a prank call."

* * *

_Sam put the phone down, her heart thumping out of her chest. It had taken her so long to summon up the courage to ring Freddie, and she'd managed to ring the wrong number? _

_Maybe it was a sign. Her mom had told her to cut off all ties, so not to be found, but she couldn't help it. She needed to know what was going on in Seattle, what was happening to her best friends. She needed to hear someone's voice, and Carly wasn't picking up. Which was odd, as Carly always had her cell phone on her. _

_Sam looked out fo the window, drinking in the dark clouds and the rain that gently splattered against the pane. Maybe the weather hadn't changed. But she was desperate to go outside. Her mom had ventured to the local shop for supplies, but had told Sam to stay in the motel room. Sam had complained; she hadn't been out in the air for two days, and she was bored stiff. But her mom had locked the door, just to make sure Sam stayed in the room._

_She eased the creaky window open, a smile making a way to her face as she felt the water droplets fall upon her face. _

_

* * *

_

_I hope you all like George. We're going to be seeing a lot of him over the next eleven months! In the next chapter, we'll be at the airport with Carly and Freddie, and we'll be seeing more of Sam. _

_Please review! _


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